Hi,
  This just may be the most promising posting I have ever read on a
listserv. Thanks.

              Warren

Acreman, Beverley wrote:
> **WITH APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTING**
>
> UKSG and NISO to tackle inefficiencies in OpenURL supply chain
>
> Oxford, UK and Baltimore, MD -January 13, 2008 - UK Serials Group (UKSG)
> and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) are pleased
> to announce the launch of the Knowledge Base And Related Tools (KBART)
> working group. The group comprises representatives from publishers,
> libraries, link resolver and ERM vendors, subscription agents and other
> parties involved in the creation of, provision of data to, and
> implementation of knowledge bases. These key components of the OpenURL
> supply chain play a critical role in the delivery of the appropriate
> copy to end-users of content in a networked environment.
>
> The establishment of the group follows last year's publication of the
> UKSG-sponsored research report, Link Resolvers and the Serials Supply
> Chain. The report identified inefficiencies in the supply and
> manipulation of journal article data that impact the efficacy and
> potential of OpenURL linking. The KBART working group will progress the
> report's recommendations; its mandate has been extended beyond the
> serials supply chain to consider best practice for supply of data
> pertaining to e-resources in general.
>
> "Knowledge bases are the key to successful OpenURL linking and as such
> are already an essential facilitator within a sophisticated, valuable
> technology," comments NISO co-chair Peter McCracken, Director of
> Research at Serials Solutions. "But they have the potential to achieve
> so much more if we can smooth out the problems with inaccurate, obsolete
> data. We plan to create simple guidelines to help data providers
> understand how they can optimize their contribution to the information
> supply chain."
>
> "Many content providers are simply unaware of the benefits to them of
> supplying knowledge bases with accurate data in a timely manner, so a
> key objective for us is education," adds UKSG co-chair Charlie Rapple,
> Group Marketing Manager at Publishing Technology. "We'll be taking a
> back-to-basics approach that helps stakeholders to learn about - and to
> embrace - the various technologies that depend on their data. All
> parties in the information supply chain can benefit from the
> improvements we hope to make."
>
> For more information about KBART, visit www.uksg.org/kbart/ or contact:
>
>
> About the National Information Standards Organization (NISO)
>
> NISO fosters the development and maintenance of standards that
> facilitate the creation, persistent management, and effective
> interchange of information so that it can be trusted for use in research
> and learning. To fulfill this mission, NISO engages libraries,
> publishers, information aggregators, and other organizations that
> support learning, research, and scholarship through the creation,
> organization, management, and curation of knowledge. NISO works with
> intersecting communities of interest and across the entire lifecycle of
> an information standard. NISO is a not-for-profit association accredited
> by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). More information
> about NISO is available on its website: www.niso.org.
>
> About UKSG
> The UK Serials Group (UKSG) exists to encourage the exchange of ideas on
> printed and electronic publishing and the process of scholarly
> communication. In a dynamic environment, the UKSG works to promote
> discussion and the free flow of information on serials matters and
> associated technology; to develop links between all parties in the
> serials information chain; and to encourage professional awareness,
> stimulate research and provide a programme of training and education. It
> is the only organisation spanning the wide range of interests and
> activities across the electronic publishing industry. More information
> about UKSG is available on its website: www.uksg.org.
>
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--
Warren Holder
Electronic Resources Co-ordinator

University of Toronto Libraries
130 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario CANADA M5S 1A5

Tel: 416 978 2286  Fax: 416 978 1668
Cell: 647 236 2286

warren.holder@utoronto.ca

www.library.utoronto.ca/its/warren.html